20 Healthy Protein Shake Recipes That You Have to Try

While protein powder in water is a great on-the-go snack, good protein shake recipes make awesome, tasty meal replacements.

If you want to add some delicious variety to your meal plan, then look no further than these protein shake recipes.

They’re easy to make, extremely delicious, and moderate in calories, making them perfect post-workout meals (or just tasty ways to get in more calories every day).

Feel free to get creative by swapping out the fruit, nuts, and milk for another variety. To make them, simply throw everything in a blender and enjoy.

So, let’s get to the recipes!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

Picture courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction

When fall is in the air, it’s the perfect weather to exercise outside. Yet that hike or run may leave you craving pumpkin pie. That plan might work for a holiday weekend but not every Saturday until the weather warms back up.

To enjoy pumpkin flavor without baked goods or gimmicky lattes, try this light smoothie with Greek yogurt and pure maple syrup. Or, use plain yogurt and a scoop of stevia-sweetened vanilla protein powder to make a low-sugar version.

Mango Chili Smoothie

Picture courtesy of Julie Morris

The great thing about protein powder is it can be added to any smoothie, easily boosting the macros by over 20 grams of protein with only 100 or so calories.

So when you run out of flavors of protein shakes to blend up, it’s a good idea to grab a cookbook like Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris for inspiration such as watermelon acai, rosemary orange, and even chocolate kale.

It has 100 recipes that are loaded with nutrients – like this one with goji and hemp seeds.

Cinnamon Banana Bread Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Fit Mitten Kitchen

Banana smoothies are great when you don’t have time to cook a well-balanced breakfast. And this one mimics the flavor of baked goods with cinnamon, almond butter, and honey so you won’t miss morning pastries quite as much.

Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Lean it Up

When you want a peanut buttery breakfast, skip the sugary cereals, and think twice about slathering some PB on toast. Peanuts are a good source of protein on their own, but not enough to power you through the day.

With chocolate whey, this peanut butter shake will give you all the flavor you want – plus the well-balanced nutrition needed to fuel you until lunch. And if you use PB2 instead of peanut butter, this makes a great pre-workout shake.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Fit Foodie Finds

Cravings for peppermint hot cocoa reach an all-time high in the winter. When it’s freezing out, though, that’s just even more reason to work up a sweat. Afterward you can reward yourself with this cool version of hot chocolate instead of having a mug topped with marshmallows.

This protein shake starts with a frozen banana, gets a generous helping of chocolate, and is finished with a touch of peppermint extract.

Cake Batter Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Skinny Mom

Having a hard time saying no to everyone else’s birthday cake at the office? Indulge in this sippable version instead.

There’s no icing, but you’ll be surprised how much this satisfies your yellow cake cravings with vanilla protein powder, Greek yogurt, and almond milk. Since it has protein instead of simple carbs, it’ll fill you up instead of weighing you down.

The whipped topping and sprinkles upgrade this from a simple vanilla shake to “cake,” so don’t leave them out if you’re in the mood to indulge.

Strawberry Mango Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of The Roasted Root

Even the best foods can seem boring after a while. When you’re no longer looking forward to protein shakes, you’ve got to mix it up.

When in doubt, act like a kid again and just have fun with it, whether that means adding sprinkles or serving it in a new style, as with this layered fruit smoothie. Use any two fruits with this recipe, like banana-pineapple or blackberry-watermelon.

Coffee Protein Smoothie

Picture courtesy of Southern in Law

Turn your morning coffee into breakfast with this smoothie recipe. It’s a great way to enjoy the perks of coffee – including not just the jolt of caffeine, but also a boost to your physical performance, plus lowered risk of countless health conditions – all while getting a serving of protein.

All you have to do is make an iced latte in the blender so the whey protein is fully integrated.

Mango Protein Smoothie

Picture courtesy of Yummy Healthy Easy

To make a protein smoothie without protein powder, just add tofu.

Or, this mango smoothie recipe can be turned into a cheesecake shake by replacing that tofu with cream cheese. It’ll contribute almost as much protein, although you’ll also want to watch out for the fat.

The result is a thick and rich fruit smoothie that’s a good stand-in for a milkshake.

Strawberry Watermelon Protein Smoothie

This is a refreshing take on protein shakes. With watermelon and cucumber, it’s like a summer cocktail, only one that’s designed to have enough nutrients to replace some of your daily supplements.

This smoothie has tons of vitamin C from the strawberries and watermelon, and it’s ultra-hydrating with coconut water to replenish electrolytes. Add fresh basil or mint, and you’ll have a virgin cocktail with more grams of protein than sugar.

Honey & Walnut Spiced Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of The Minimalist Baker

A lot of protein shakes are smoothies with protein powder. That’s a delicious approach to increasing protein intake, but frozen fruit is definitely not the best way to fight milkshake cravings. But it can be done.

This protein shake recipe uses a base of cottage cheese and walnuts, plus spices and honey, to recreate the rich feel of blended ice cream. And yet it also delivers the comforting flavors of a home-baked spiced cake.

Green Tea Avocado Protein Smoothie

Picture courtesy of The Full Helping

Trade in those afternoon chai lattes for this creamy green tea shake. This pick-me-up has the caffeine you crave – and you can double the recommended amount of matcha if you need more – but without sugar.

And unlike any beverage at the corner café, this is creamy not because of milk; it gets that from half an avocado.

Apple Crumble Protein Smoothie

Apples are versatile, making a healthy snack but also an awesome pie. The fruit really shines in a recipe like this, which combines the flavors of fall dessert with good nutrition.

Rather than having a crumble topping made with butter or oil, this smoothie uses oats and flax to get the taste of a nutty pie crust. Then all you need is a dash or two of spices to complete the picture.

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Chocolate-Covered Katie

Whenever you add yogurt to a smoothie or shake, go for plain Greek.

Greek yogurt has a much higher protein content than traditional yogurt, and by choosing plain, you’re also cutting out a ton of added sugar. Most flavored yogurts contain 20 to 30 grams of sugar per cup!

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Protein Smoothie

Picture courtesy of Green Lite Bites

Chocolate is so delicious that you can even use it to get kids (and yourself) to consume spinach. Yep, you can hide leafy greens in this dark chocolate protein shake. Blueberries and almond milk also help to mask the flavor of spinach.

But beware of using other greens like kale in this recipe as their flavor can be more bitter and overpowering.

Choco-Coconut Almond Protein Shake

Picture courtesy of Martha Stewart

For subtle, smooth coconut flavor that ties all the ingredients together, add a teaspoon of coconut oil to any smoothie or shake. Not only is it like nature’s candy, but coconut oil is packed with healthy fats.

You’ll have this recipe memorized in no time because it makes a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

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